JAMMU: Two Pakistani terrorists, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, were killed on Wednesday after they were trapped inside a cave in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Several powerful blasts were heard when the forces stormed the cave around noon.
Officials said one of the deceased terrorist is Rubani alias Abu Mavia, a top self-styled commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, who was active in the area for the last several years.
While body of one of the terrorists was lying on the mouth of the cave, another was found lying deep inside it.
The terrorists were located by joint troops of Army, police and CRPF amid intensified search operations in the higher reaches of Ramnagar-Basantgarh area around 4 pm on Tuesday, leading to a fierce gunfight, the officials said.
Army named the over 20-hour long operation as “Kiya” and said though it is over, the area still remains under surveillance.
“Based on specific intelligence input provided by police, troops of Counter-Intelligence Force Delta, White Knight Corps planned and executed a focused joint counter-terror operation in the general area of Jophar Forest, Basantgarh in coordination with police and CRPF reinforcing the cordon, ensuring effective area domination to prevent escape of terrorists.
“Contact with terrorists was established yesterday and since then, terrorists were prevented from breaking contact. Following a calibrated and coordinated response, two terrorists have been successfully neutralised. The operation highlighted seamless inter-agency coordination, tactical precision and high standards of professionalism,” the Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an M4 carbine and an ak assault rifle, were recovered from the slain terrorists, the officials said.
The officials said intense gunfight and deafening explosions initially rocked the Jaffer, Gujrada and Chigla Balotha forests for over an hour, resulting in injuries to one of the terrorists who along with his associate managed to retreat into the cave, the officials said.
Heavy gunfire and explosions was reported for a brief period around 7.30 pm when the terrorists attempted to flee under the cover of darkness, the officials said, adding Army reinforcements, including paratroopers and dog squads, were rushed in to further tighten the cordon.
The night passed without any firing, and security forces maintained a tight vigil over the area, particularly around the cave, using drones for surveillance, before launching a final assault on the cave this morning, the officials said.
This was the second encounter in Udhampur since December 15 when a policeman was martyred in an encounter at Soan village. However, the terrorists had managed to escape taking advantage of thick foliage and darkness.
A series of encounters — three in Kathua district and four in Chatroo forest belt in Kishtwar –also occurred in January, resulting in the killing of top JeM terrorist, Usman of Pakistan, in Kathua and a paratrooper in Kishtwar amid intensified operations to hunt down terrorists hiding in the upper reaches of Jammu region.
Usman was part of the same group eliminated in Udhampur district and got separated following the Soan encounter, the officials said. (PTI)